State gun laws vary significantly throughout the country. Connecticut's gun laws are among the strictest. That's in no small part due to the Sandy Hook massacre. Less than four months after 26 children and educators were killed in Newtown, Connecticut Republican and Democratic state legislators joined forces to pass sweeping new gun legislation.
Connecticut residents who own firearms need to understand where they can and cannot carry them. A 37-year-old Stratford woman learned that the hard way. She was arrested for having a handgun in her possession while at her daughter's school.
According to the police, the mother was called to Wooster Middle School on the morning of Jan. 21 "to pick up her daughter, because she was involved in a fight." The woman reportedly had the gun in her waistband when she arrived.
The school principal said he explained to the woman, who works as a credit manager, "the seriousness of carrying a weapon on school grounds." He called the police, who escorted her out of the building.
The woman reportedly turned over the gun, which wasn't loaded, as well as her gun permit to police. However, she was arrested for possession of a gun on school property. The mother, who was reportedly apologetic about the incident, told officers that she was "on her way to pick up her brother to go to the shooting range" when she received the call from her daughter's principal.
She was released from custody. However, she is scheduled to appear in court before the end of the month.
Not only politicians, but also law enforcement officers and prosecutors take Connecticut's gun laws very seriously. If you or a loved one is charged with any sort of weapons crime, it's essential to seek legal guidance to help work to mitigate the consequences of the charges.
Source: Connecticut Post, "Stratford mom arrested with gun at daughter’s school," Daniel Tepfer, Jan. 22, 2016